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Thursday, 30 August 2018

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” John Muir

We protect – with fences, and laws, and force – the things we value. Yet, far too often, we fail to recognize the value of intangibles – sunlight, ancient forests, open trails, beauty. We either take them for granted or we place a higher value on development, profit, and what we see as progress. But not always. Here are a few examples of cities and countries that are attempting to recognize and protect intangibles.

Some cities are endeavouring to protect sunlight. San Francisco has a “sunlight ordinance” that legislates the review of plans for buildings over 40 feet that might shadow public parks. Toronto’s Tall Buildings Guidelines stipulate that tall buildings must be 25 metres apart. Toronto also takes into consideration “pedestrian comfort” by reviewing the shadows created by proposed buildings, paying particular attention to shadows over public areas such as Nathan Phillip’s Square.

Ancient Trees
There are trees in the United Kingdom that are hundreds, even thousands, of years old. Ancient woodlands are protected by the National Planning Policy Framework, but there is a loophole in the law permitting development to go ahead if "the economic benefit of a development outweighs the loss.” The Woodland Trust is campaigning to close this loophole, so far with no success.

Right to Roam
England has protected its footpaths, granting public access to private land, since 1925. Andrew Weaver, leader of BC’s Green Party has introduced a Right to Roam Act to protect public access to lakes, rivers, and public forests through privately owned land. Weaver says, “The ability to access and experience nature is a public right, and we must protect it. . . . People protect what they know and love. If we become disconnected from our environment we risk disengaging with the fight for its future.”

The City of Vancouver has 27 protected view corridors to maintain views of the North Shore mountains, the ocean, and the city skyline. They do, however, make exceptions, which are not always supported by the general public.

Voting for Nature
In 2014, England’s Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds proposed a nature and wellbeing act that would put nature at the heart of decision-making both locally and nationally and would commit to securing the recovery of nature in a generation. The Blue Dot movement is similar, advocating for legal recognition of every Canadian’s right to a healthy environment.

The proposed laws are examples of “positive environmentalism, setting the agenda, rather than merely responding to the policies we don’t like. We must do both, but while those who love wildlife have often been effective opponents, we have tended to be less effective proponents.”

Rise for Climate, Sept. 8 (Saskatoon)
The Saskatoon chapter of Council of Canadians and Climate Justice Saskatoon are holding a rally from 12-2 pm, Sept. 8, in honour of Rise for Climate day of action.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

Thursday, 16 August 2018

“My seven-year-old loved this [Sask Parks bioblitz].She logged 41 observations and loved getting feedback from people and learning what things were. Can’t wait to do this again next year!” (EcoFriendly Sask Twitter feed)

Do you like to dig in the dirt or would you rather scan the sky for birds? Do you like solving puzzles on the computer or wonder what is happening in your backyard overnight? All these opportunities and more are available every day as the public is invited to assist scientists in collecting and processing data and working on conservation projects.

Eyes and Ears
For more than 25 years, observers have provided Plant Watch Alberta with over 55,000 records of when plants start to flower. Many of those volunteers have been involved for over 10 years providing valuable indicators of variations in the weather and the risk of early spring wildfires before the forests turn green.

In 2017, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum held one-day bioblitzes in Regina and Cypress Hills. With 665 observations of 239 different species, the Regina bioblitz provided baseline data on the species that inhabit the area. There were some exciting discoveries in Cypress Hills where volunteer plant experts identified a number of mosses and liverworts that were either new to Cypress Hills or new to Saskatchewan.

Very little is known about Calgary’s frogs, toads, and salamanders. Calgary residents enjoying a walk along the Rotary Mattamy Greenway can help by using a newly developed app, Call of the Wetland, to identify and report when they either hear or see one of these amphibians.

Citizen science projects recognize the value of local knowledge, which can supplement and guide scientific research. The LEO network in Alaska “is a network of local observers and topic experts who share knowledge about unusual animal, environment, and weather events.”

Practical Applications
Many citizen science projects have a practical purpose. Residents living near Heathrow Airport in London, England, installed devices in their homes and gardens to record noise and its impact on people and wildlife. The data was shared with local authorities and fed into the consultation process for a third runway.

Biologists, agencies, and communities involved in Grupo Tortuguero not only collected data on local turtle populations but also assisted in establishing marine protected areas and sustainable fishing practices.

Remote Control
You don’t need to be physically present to help collect data. A University of Wisconsin biologist who tracks deer, bears, and other large animals distributed thousands of motion-sensitive cameras to teachers, students, landowners, and nature-lovers. "By working with citizen scientists who put out these cameras on their own private property, we're now able to characterize areas that we wouldn't otherwise be able to go into," he says.

Soundscapes to Landscapes is mapping bird diversity in Sonoma County, California. Volunteers distribute and collect sound recorders around the area. Experts then train computers to identify the different songs, whistles, and squeaks that have been recorded.

You can be a citizen scientist from the comfort of your own home. Calgary Captured is looking for volunteers to identify the animals in photos taken by motion-activated cameras in 12 city parks. Zooniverse labels itself as people-powered research and hosts a wide variety of projects – count cells in modern and fossil leaves, classify galaxies according to their shape, or transcribe natural history museum data to make it more accessible.

Muscles
Sometimes eyes and ears aren’t enough. Conservation organizations need your muscles. You can plant sagebrush to provide nesting cover and winter forage for greater-sage grouse at Grasslands National Park or work with scientists from Calgary Zoo on the Canadian Prairie Dog Ecosystem Research Project. Volunteers with the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan dig out invasive flowering rush, while conservation volunteers with the Nature Conservancy of Canada help tear down or repair fences, install bird boxes, and clean up shoreline debris. Volunteer gardeners are gathering every Thursday morning to whip the Native Plant Garden at Regina’s Royal Saskatchewan Museum back into shape.

Personal Benefits
Volunteering your time to help with a science project can generate huge personal benefits. Meghan Mickelson participated in a bioblitz at Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Dundurn property earlier this year. She says, “There is magic in discovering a new area: you never know what is around each bend or behind each grove of trees. . . . I love exploring, taking photos of flowers, bugs and the land.”

Tony Iwane started contributing photographs to iNaturalist when he retired. He says,“There is no question that iNat has changed the way I interact with the natural world. I find that now instead of just assessing whether something is ‘pretty’ or not, I’m much more inclined to stop and watch. I have much more respect for the natural world…There is nothing scientific about what I do, I just have a love of nature which iNat has flamed into an obsession! I now get triple enjoyment from the things I see, firstly the sighting, then working through the photos, and finally, sharing the observation with people who are interested. I value the identifications, the information available, and the fact that in some small way I may be helping.”

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

Meeting the 1.5 Degree Climate Target, Aug. 14 (Regina)
Regina Public Interest Group is hosting Dr. Charlie Wilson of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research (UK) who will discuss transforming energy demand to meet the 1.5°C climate target and sustainable development goals from 11-noon in ED Building 114, University of Regina.

Family Paddle, Aug. 17 (Regina)
SaskOutdoors and Fresh Air Experience are hosting a family paddle from 2-5 pm, Aug. 17.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

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“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

EcoFriendly Sask strives to inform, encourage, and support Saskatchewan environmental initiatives. As a small, personal undertaking, we provide an online publication as well as grants to support local environmental projects. The Calendar page lists upcoming events, and we maintain the conversation on Twitter, or like our Facebook.

Individuals and organizations are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $500 to support local projects that will benefit the environment.